هَذا عَذابٌ لا يُفَتَّرْ

هَذا عَذابٌ لا يُفَتَّرْ

بِأَقَلِّهِ قَلبي تَفَطَّرْ

بِأَقَلِّهِ قَلبي تَفَطَّرْ

This is torment that is never eased.

This is a torment with no respite

With the least of it, my heart was rent apart.

At the slightest my heart is shattered

أَفَلا يُفَكِّرُ في المُحِب

أَفَلا يُفَكِّرُ في المُحِب

بِ وَما دَهاهُ ألا يُفَكَّرْ

بِ وَما دَهاهُ ألا يُفَكَّرْ

Will he not think of the lover

Does not the lover contemplate

and what befell him—will no thought be given?

What has befallen him and not contemplate

ما كانَ يَحذَرُ نالَهُ

ما كانَ يَحذَرُ نالَهُ

مِنكُم وَما لا كانَ يَحذَر

مِنكُم وَما لا كانَ يَحذَر

What he feared befell him

What he feared has come upon him

from you, and what he had not feared.

From you though he did not fear it before

أَفَلا يُرى في جَنَّةٍ

أَفَلا يُرى في جَنَّةٍ

لِلوَصلِ ذا المَحروبُ يُجبَر

لِلوَصلِ ذا المَحروبُ يُجبَر

Will he not be seen in a garden

Is he not to be found in a paradise

of union—this despoiled one made whole?

For the union though aggrieved to be consoled

قَذَفوهُ في نِسيانِهِم

قَذَفوهُ في نِسيانِهِم

حَتّى وَلا بِالسوءِ يُذكَر

حَتّى وَلا بِالسوءِ يُذكَر

They cast him into their forgetfulness,

They cast him into their forgetfulness

till he is not mentioned even disparagingly.

That he is not even mentioned in disdain

بِأَبي هِلالٌ مَن رَآ

بِأَبي هِلالٌ مَن رَآ

هُ أَفادَ أَجراً حينَ كَبَّر

هُ أَفادَ أَجراً حينَ كَبَّر

My father be ransom for a crescent: whoever saw

By my father Hilal, he who saw him

him earned a reward when he proclaimed, 'God is greatest.'

Gained reward when he magnified

كَم صامَ قَلبٌ عَن ذُنو

كَم صامَ قَلبٌ عَن ذُنو

بٍ ثُمَّ لاحَ لَهُ فَأَفطَر

بٍ ثُمَّ لاحَ لَهُ فَأَفطَر

How many a heart fasted from sins,

How many a heart fasted from sins

then he appeared to it, and it broke its fast!

Then for it dawned and so it broke fast

يا وَيحَ سائِلِهِ الَّذي

يا وَيحَ سائِلِهِ الَّذي

يا لَيتَهُ لَو كانَ يُنهَر

يا لَيتَهُ لَو كانَ يُنهَر

Alas for the one who petitions him—

Oh woe to his questioner whom

would that he were rebuffed!

Oh would that he be made to flow away

يا مُنظِري بِوُعودِهِ

يا مُنظِري بِوُعودِهِ

أَتَظُنُّني بِالحَتفِ أُنظَر

أَتَظُنُّني بِالحَتفِ أُنظَر

O you whose promises keep me waiting,

Oh you who make me hope with your promises

do you think death will grant me respite?

Do you think me with misfortune to be content

عَجِّلْ فَلي أَجَلٌ وَأَن

عَجِّلْ فَلي أَجَلٌ وَأَن

تَ بِهِ تَجيءُ وَما يُؤَخَّر

تَ بِهِ تَجيءُ وَما يُؤَخَّر

Hasten, for I have an appointed end, and you

Hasten for I have a term and you

bring it; it will not be delayed.

Will come with it though not made late

لي فيكَ غَرسٌ لَيتَهُ

لي فيكَ غَرسٌ لَيتَهُ

مِن قَبلِ قَطفِيَ كانَ أَثمَر

مِن قَبلِ قَطفِيَ كانَ أَثمَر

I have a planting in you—would that it

For me in you is a planting would that

had borne fruit before I am plucked.

Before my plucking it had borne fruit

اللَيلُ يَعلَمُ أَنَّني

اللَيلُ يَعلَمُ أَنَّني

في اللَيلِ لِلأَقمارِ أَسهَر

في اللَيلِ لِلأَقمارِ أَسهَر

The night knows that I

The night knows that I

keep vigil at night for the moons.

In the night for the moons do stay up

هَذا المُسامِرُ مِن نُجو

هَذا المُسامِرُ مِن نُجو

مِ اللَيلِ سارٍ أَم مُسَمَّر

مِ اللَيلِ سارٍ أَم مُسَمَّر

This night-companion among the stars

Is this nail from the glint of night

of night—is it traveling or nailed in place?

Passing or is it hammered in fixed

أَنِسَت بِهِ عَينٌ تُشَب

أَنِسَت بِهِ عَينٌ تُشَب

بِهُهُ بِسِربِ مَهاً مُنَفَّر

بِهُهُ بِسِربِ مَهاً مُنَفَّر

An eye took comfort in it, likening

A eye was delighted with it resembling

it to a herd of startled oryx.

With a herd of gazelles scattered about

وَتَكاثَرَت أَعدادُهُ

وَتَكاثَرَت أَعدادُهُ

وَنُجومُ دَمعي مِنهُ أَكثَر

وَنُجومُ دَمعي مِنهُ أَكثَر

And its numbers multiplied,

And increased were its numbers

yet the stars of my tears are more numerous.

While the stars of my tears from it are more

مُتَعَثِّراً في غَربِهِ

مُتَعَثِّراً في غَربِهِ

وَالدَمعُ فيهِ ما تَعَثَّر

وَالدَمعُ فيهِ ما تَعَثَّر

Stumbling in its setting,

Stumbling in its setting

while the tears within it never stumbled.

And the tear in it stumbled over

لَيتَ الصَباحَ عَلى المَشا

لَيتَ الصَباحَ عَلى المَشا

رِقِ قَد تَهَجَّمَ أَو تَسَوَّر

رِقِ قَد تَهَجَّمَ أَو تَسَوَّر

Would that morning upon the eastern horizons

Would that the dawn in the horizons

had stormed in or scaled the walls!

Had frowned or crept in

قُم يا حَمامُ عَسى إِذا

قُم يا حَمامُ عَسى إِذا

غَرَّدَت لِلأَشجارِ تُسحِر

غَرَّدَت لِلأَشجارِ تُسحِر

Rise, O doves; perhaps, when

Arise oh dove perhaps if

you sing to the trees, you will reach dawn,

You cooed to the trees you would bewitch

لِثُغورِ زُهرٍ أَومَضَت

لِثُغورِ زُهرٍ أَومَضَت

وَخُدودِ وَردٍ قَد تَخَفَّر

وَخُدودِ وَردٍ قَد تَخَفَّر

for gleaming mouths that flashed

The lips of blossoms that shined

and cheeks of roses grown bashful.

And cheeks of roses that blushed

لَطُفَ النَسيمُ فَحلَّ مِن

لَطُفَ النَسيمُ فَحلَّ مِن

أَكمامِهِ ما قَد تَزَرَّر

أَكمامِهِ ما قَد تَزَرَّر

The breeze grew gentle and unfastened from

The gentle breeze so it loosened

its flower-sheaths what had been buttoned shut.

From its sleeves what had been pinned

النَهرُ مَزهُوٌّ جَلا

النَهرُ مَزهُوٌّ جَلا

هُ الزَهرُ كَالسَيفِ المُجَوهَر

هُ الزَهرُ كَالسَيفِ المُجَوهَر

The river is proud, polished

The river is elated

by blossoms, like a jeweled sword.

Its flowers like a jewel-studded sword